US suspends strategic partnership with Georgia over Gov’t’s “anti-democratic actions”

Matthew Miller, the Spokesperson for the United States Department of State, on Saturday announced the US had suspended the Strategic Partnership with Georgia following the Georgian Government’s recent decision to halt EU accession talks until 2028.

“Georgian Dream’s various anti-democratic actions have violated the core tenets of our US-Georgia Strategic Partnership, which was based on shared values and commitments to democracy, rule of law, civil society, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and anti-corruption efforts”, Miller said.

The Spokesperson noted the Georgian people “overwhelmingly support integration with Europe” and the recent move of the Government “goes against the promise to the Georgian people enshrined in their constitution to pursue full integration into the European Union and NATO”, adding the ruling party had “rejected the opportunity for closer ties with Europe and made Georgia more vulnerable to the Kremlin”.

In his comments over the ongoing public protests held against the Government’s announcement, the official said the US condemned “the excessive use of force by police against Georgians seeking to exercise their rights to assembly and expression, including their freedom to peacefully protest” and called on all sides “to ensure protests remain peaceful”.

Miller reiterated the US call to the Georgian Government “to return to its Euro-Atlantic path, transparently investigate all parliamentary election [held in October] irregularities” and “repeal anti-democratic laws that limit freedoms of assembly and expression”.